I was going to leave Parkersburg the next night for Clarksburg. Mr. Murphy, a citizen of Parkersburg, came to express his regrets that I was going away. He said he was glad the judge did not sentence me. I said to him, “If the injunction was violated I was the only one who violated it. The boys did not speak at all. I regret that they had to go to jail for me and that I should go free. But I am not trying to break into jails. It really does not matter much; they are young and strong and have a long time to carry on. I am old and have much yet to do. Only Barney Rice has a bad heart and a frail, nervous wife. When she hears of his imprisonment, she may have a collapse and perhaps leave her little children without a mother’s care.”
Mr. Murphy said to me, “Mother Jones, I believe that if you went up and explained Rice’s condition to the judge he would pardon him.”
I went to the judge’s house. He invited me to dinner.
“No, Judge,” I said, “I just came to see you about Barney Rice.”
“What about him?”
“He has heart disease and a nervous wife.”
“Heart disease, has he?”
“Yes, he has it bad and he might die in your jail. I know you don’t want that.”
“No,” replied the judge, “I do not.”
He called the jailer and asked him to bring Rice to the phone. The judge said, “How is your heart, Barney?”